One last tomato-ey recipe as that season of abundant red (and yellow and orange and black) beauties comes to a close. This is a dish I discovered when looking to mix a few more plant-based meals into my rotation, while still indulging in big flavour and comfort. Maybe next week we’ll move on from beans…but not quite yet.
This recipe is also great as a homestyle appetizer served to a crowd – it’s colourful and fragrant so it draws people in, and it’s vegan, so many folks can enjoy. My pesto was less artistic than it could have been this round – I trust you can do better.
Tomato-Pesto Beans
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 1-2 onions
- 1/4-1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 2-3 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 can white beans
- 1/2 tbsp sugar of choice (I used fruit sugar because it's all I had, but brown sugar or maple syrup would also work)
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- salt & pepper
- bread, for serving
Instructions
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Mince the garlic (I used a hand grater typically reserved for zesting to get it really fine). Peel and finely dice your onion. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Drain and rinse the beans.
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To a saute pan with high coverage add a drizzle of oil, the garlic and onion and cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant and translucent.
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Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook, turning up to medium heat, for about five minutes, until the tomatoes are tender and starting to break down. Over that time, add the broth in small splashes (so you don't cool down the pan with a large addition at once). The total you add depends on how saucy you want your beans to end up!
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Remove the pan from heat. Either use an immersion blender to blend sections, or take about half of the mixture and add it to a classic blender to blend. Take care not to splash yourself with the hot liquid. Return the mixture to the pan if you removed it, and return the pan to heat. You should now have a thicker sauce, but still have some chunky tomatoes and peels in the mix.
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Add the beans and sugar to the pan. Mix and let simmer for about 10 minutes, adding more broth if needed. As the beans cook, you can taste the mixture to tell if more sweetness is needed.
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While the beans are simmering, combine the basil, pine nuts and several tablespoons of olive oil in a food processor to make your pesto. I add a pinch of salt and then adjust proportions as needed during the blending process (adding more pine nuts or oil to adjust texture).
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Remove beans from heat and swirl with large dollops of pesto. Serve with crusty baguette or ciabatta to spoon the beans over, either freshly sliced (still vegan) or toasted with your favourite cheese (no longer vegan).